Posts under ‘Animals’

From October to April in Dubai is camel racing season and no better place to see this special is at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse which have races on Thursdays and Fridays. Camel racing is big business in the United Arab Emirates with over 14,000 camels actively racing. The camel racing industry is a large employer in the country. Strangely betting on races in the UAE is illegal but winners receive huge prizes including luxury cars and apartments. Some of the top camels can be worth millions of dollars. Races are quiet long compared to other forms of animal racing with lengths of up to 10 Kms usually with a fleet of 4WDs following them for a better view and there can be up to 70 or more camels in a race. A new rule as entered the sport prohibiting children younger than 15 riding, previously there were some jockeys as young as 6 riding camels, this is being outlawed although there are some reports some children slip under the radar. Read the rest of this entry »

Orang utangs are one of the most precious and endangered of all forest creatures and there is nothing quiet like coming face to face with them over breakfast. Singapore Zoo one of the worlds finest zoos offers one of the most unique experiences you will ever have. Imagine sitting down to a fresh banquet of tropical fruits and other breakfast fare with an orang utang. These beautiful animals are one of the zoo’s star attractions they are the first zoo to have free ranging area which is home to over 20 of these orange hairy creatures. The zoo is part of a very important breeding program which is helping to save these animals from extinction. With people able to get up close and personal with the orang utangs it is hoped that we better understand the needs for survival and conservation of their habitat.

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Ever wanted to come face to face with one of the worlds most feared creatures in its natural habitat, well Australia’s Kakaudu is the place. Imagine taking a majestic cruise up the South Alligator River and watch salt water crocodiles glide by. The Yellow Water Bilabong is the place at the end of Jim Jim Creek not far from Jabaru. Experienced guides point out some of the spectacular scenery and magnificent wildlife from canopied cruise boats. Kakadu is home to not only crocodiles but nearly a third of Australia’s bird species including magpie geese, eagles and the magnificent Jaburu stork. At the begining of the cruise to satisfy safety regulations the crew explain the important rules for an emergency including where the life jackets are kept, only a brave person would want to use them in this croc infested area.

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For a wonderful and informative adventure in New Zealand’s Auckland visit Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World and Antartic Encounter. This attraction was built in a old storm water holding tank and now houses some of New Zealand’s and the Antartic’s finest collection of sea life. The complex features a huge acrylic tunnel with moving footpath where you can get an up close look at some amazing fish including huge stingrays and sharks. The largest stingray called Phoebe weighs in at over 200kg and has a massive wingspan of over 2m. The highlight of the visit for most people is the penguin encounter, here is one of the few places outside the Antartic where you will see the king and gentoo penguins. The centre has plenty of informative interactives and lots of fun for young and old.

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The Daintree about an hours drive north of Cairns in Australia’s tropical Queensland is home to the giant Barramundi. This fish sits upon the Barbeque garden at the Timber Museum and Gallery. The Barramundi isn’t the only big thing found in the rivers of these parts of Australia, the freshwater crocodile is also in plentiful supply. The region has several river cruises to choose from and you are all but guaranteed to see one of these enormous and deadly reptiles on your journey.

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Anglesea on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road has a very unique Golf Course where you play your 18 holes with herds of Kangaroos watching on. Established in the 1950’s the golf club is one of the premier clubs in the region. The club is visited by hundred’s of visitors every day who stop by for a close up look at these beautiful animals. The kangaroos don’t seem to care too much about the flying balls and can be often seen enjoying the sun right in the middle of the green while golfers are trying to play shots.

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About two and a half hours drive east of Darwin in the heart of the World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park you will find one of the worlds most unique hotels. A huge crocodile shaped hotel. This luxury hotel is at Jaburu in the heart of Kakadu. The hotel, created by a Darwin architect working with the local Aboriginal people, measuring over 250 metres long the head holds the foyer, reception, gift shop and restaurants. While the body is home to the 110 luxury rooms. The legs are the stairs to the rooms while the tummy of the beast is home to the pool and gardens. The whole reptile is covered in a green scale like metal cladding. Tourist coaches pull up in the jaws of the crocodile to offload and pick up the hotel guests.

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Florida’s Gatorland has been entertaining guests for more than half a century, decades before Orlando became the theme park capital of the world. Opening in 1949 the family owned park has been at the forefront of Alligator preservation in the area. Now set on over 110 acres the complex is home to thousands of alligators and quite a few crocodiles as well as lots of other scaley reptiles, birds and other animals. One of the highlights of the park is the Gator Jumparoo show where huge alligators jump out of the water to snatch food of a handler. The giant reptiles jump nearly two metres off the surface of the water. There is also a gator wrestling show where some mad fool wrangles a 8 foot alligator in front of a full stadium- he must be mad. Gatorworld is open daily and is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Disneyworld or Universal Studios for a few hours.

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Shepparton is in central Victoria in the Southern State of Victoria and is known for its fruit growing and more recently its painted cows. The city has come alive with plastic cows all painted in different styles and colours by local and some quite famous artists including Ken Done and indigenous artists Kevin Atkinson and Melinda Solomon.

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Elephants are a very important part of Thailand’s culture and over the centuries have become one of the countries most important animals and a symbol of power and strength. Their admiration can be seen in Thai symbols, buildings, statues and the like. Still today elephants are used in many traditional roles including working in the forest and mountains, used for transportation and are an important tourist drawcard to the country. Today most of the 2600 or so elephants live and in many cases work in elephant camps. One of the more popular elephant parks for tourists at Mae Sa which is outside of Chaing Mai here visitors can see the elephant’s amazing skills and even visit the elephant nursery where the little elephants grow up. Several tour groups also offer elephant trek tours where you can ride elephants through the farmlands and forest of Thailand.

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